1. Characteristics of Upper Limb Osteoarticular Infections at the Emergency Department of a Tertiary University Hospital in Spain
- Author
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Alida Alcolea Sánchez, María de la Calle, Sara Murias Loza, Irene Martín Espín, Clara Lacasta Plasin, and María Dolores Niño Saco
- Subjects
Male ,Pediatrics ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Tertiary Care Centers ,Upper Extremity ,Interquartile range ,medicine ,Humans ,Child ,Retrospective Studies ,Arthritis, Infectious ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Incidence (epidemiology) ,Osteomyelitis ,Infant ,General Medicine ,Emergency department ,medicine.disease ,Anti-Bacterial Agents ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Spain ,Erythrocyte sedimentation rate ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Emergency Medicine ,Etiology ,Upper limb ,Septic arthritis ,business ,Emergency Service, Hospital - Abstract
Objectives Osteoarticular infections are infrequent in pediatric patients, although their incidence seems to be increasing. They usually affect children younger than 5 years and tend to localize in the lower limbs. Because of their nonspecific symptoms, especially at onset, a timely diagnosis is difficult to achieve, with the subsequent risk of a delay in treatment. We hereby report the management of osteoarticular infections in our pediatric emergency department. Methods This is a retrospective descriptive study of patients diagnosed with osteoarticular upper limb infection in the pediatric emergency department of a tertiary hospital from January 2011 to December 2016. Results From an initial global sample of 170 patients diagnosed with osteomyelitis or septic arthritis at any location at the pediatric emergency department, 32 children (18.82%) with upper limb involvement were included in the study. Of them, 22 were male and the mean age at diagnosis was 14.5 months (interquartile range, 2-106). Eighteen patients (56%) were diagnosed with septic arthritis, and 14 (44%) had a diagnosis of osteomyelitis.The most frequent symptom was pain (50%). More than one third of patients (11) had received a different diagnosis in a previous hospital visit. A traumatic etiology was suspected in 7 cases (21%).Regarding acute phase reactants, the mean value for C-reactive protein was 21.3 mg/L, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate was elevated in 27 cases (84%). In 28 patients, blood cultures were obtained, 24 of which came back negative. All children received antibiotic treatment and achieved a full recovery. Conclusions One third of patients were misdiagnosed at the first consultation, which stresses the importance of a high clinical suspicion to avoid delays in diagnosis and treatment of osteoarticular infections. This study also shows a lower mean age of children with upper limb infection as compared with those with lower limb infection. All patients recovered fully with oral antibiotics.
- Published
- 2020